Israel fails to keep its promises "as always" on the cease-fire in Gaza, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya, Erdoğan also repeated his call that Israel must end its occupation of Palestinian territories and compensate for damages it inflicted in Gaza.
The truce between Israel and Palestinian resistance group Hamas came under doubt after Hamas announced Monday it would stop releasing Israeli hostages until further notice over Israeli violations of the cease-fire agreement in Gaza.
The three-phase cease-fire deal has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, halting Israel's genocidal war, which has killed more than 48,000 people and left the enclave in ruins.
A Palestinian official warned Monday the deal was at risk of collapse and outlined three key violations from Israel, starting with ongoing Israeli gunfire targeting Palestinians in Gaza, which has left 25 dead since Jan. 1.
The second violation, he said, is Israel's continued blockade of humanitarian aid, including its refusal to allow the entry of tents and shelters that were supposed to reach Gaza under the agreement.
"Thirdly, (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and the American President (Donald) Trump provoked all Palestinians with their repeated statements of their intentions of the total ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip,” he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump pressed further on his stunning proposal to remove the Palestinian population from devastated Gaza and have the U.S. take "ownership" of the territory. He told FOX News on Sunday that the Palestinians would not have the right to return.
That deepened the shock among Palestinians, who live with the history of fleeing or being forced from their homes in what is now Israel during the 1948 war.
And it brought new astonishment and condemnation from Arab and Muslim nations that have long pressed for an independent Palestinian state.
Türkiye has been fiercely critical of Israel’s brutal offensive in Gaza, which it and others say amounts to genocide. It has also slammed many Western allies for their support of Israel. It suspended trade relations with Israel in May 2024 in protest and formally applied to join South Africa's initiative to have Israel tried for genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“Türkiye showed leadership on the Gaza issue. No other country did as much as Türkiye on humanitarian aid,” the Malaysian premier told reporters alongside Erdoğan.
He also revealed that Malaysia will mobilize the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to reconstruct Gaza under its rotating presidency.
On aid deliveries to Gaza, Erdoğan said he believes “we can overcome this” if all ASEAN members join hands.
Erdoğan is on a four-day visit covering Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan.
He and Ibrahim held one-on-one talks and attended an inter-delegation meeting to discuss relations and international issues, including the Gaza war.
“At these meetings, we have decided to increase Türkiye-Malaysia bilateral trade volume from $5 billion to $10 billion,” Erdoğan announced.
Later Tuesday, Erdoğan will address the Türkiye-Malaysia Business Forum.
He delivered a speech Monday at Universiti Malaya, where he was presented with an honorary doctorate degree.
"Despite their geographical distance, Türkiye and Malaysia, which are located on the two different sides of Asia, are, in fact, two friendly, brotherly and partner countries," he said.
